Cartoon by Roshi Rouzbehani

Taraneh Alidoosti: I will never be in front of the camera wearing a hijab again

Euronew: Taraneh Alidoosti, a famous Iranian actress, said in a new documentary broadcast by the BBC that she will never appear in front of the camera wearing a compulsory hijab again.

The documentary, titled "Taraneh," was made by Pegah Ahangarani, a former Iranian actress. Ms. Ahangarani had previously made political and social documentaries, including "The Soldier's Child," which received much attention.

Taraneh Alidoosti was arrested by security forces during the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement after she posted a picture of herself without the compulsory hijab. In this documentary, Ms. Alidoosti has presented for the first time an account of the moment of her arrest and also the days she spent in Evin Prison.

After posting a picture of herself without the compulsory hijab, Ms. Alidoosti reposted on social media a quote from Navid Afkari, a wrestler who was executed for murder, and wrote: "Your silence means supporting oppression and the oppressor. Now sit down and wait for the consequences of this bloodthirsty."

Taraneh Alidoosti says she was sure they would come for her and that they eventually arrested her in front of her house. The former winner of the Crystal Simorgh Award at the Fajr Film Festival also describes how difficult the moment of her arrest was for her young daughter.

In the film, she also explains her illness; a rare autoimmune disease that caused her skin to become damaged, which is why she locked herself up at home for a while. Taraneh says she didn’t want anyone to see her in such a state, but now that her condition has improved and she has decided to leave the confinement voluntarily.

Ms. Alidoosti, who was introduced to Iranian cinema with the film “I am Taraneh, I am 15 years old,” also recounts how her cellmates tried to cheer her up in prison. Referring to being held in solitary confinement, Taraneh says she sat behind the cell door listening to people whose families had not been heard from for a long time. She says that other prisoners, after realizing that the person speaking to them was actress Taraneh Alidoosti, tried to cheer her up in various ways.

Taraneh says in part of the documentary: “They were trying to tell others about his arrest by singing the song “Sarood Zan” by Mehdi Yarahi. Especially the part where the poem says: “Instead of him, hit my heart, the world will become a song,” they sang the “song” part louder so that I could get motivated.”

In part of the documentary, she says that she never felt bad after that incident and is happy that she was able to make such a decision in solidarity with society. This famous Iranian film actress says in this regard: “I never wanted to be a civil activist, but when this happened and I saw people talking about something that I always wished they would think about, how could I not have a role?”

Alidoosti also says that she has never felt so safe, because she no longer has anything to hide and communicates easily with people.

In another part of the documentary, Taraneh says that cinema in the way she used to act is over and she will never be willing to appear in front of the camera in such an environment and with a mandatory hijab again.